A new chapter in helping Karen children
The Karen village of Bon Luk is far from civilization, about 130 kilometers from Hua Hin. It is not easy to get there, as it is only accessible through the vast Khaen Krachan Natural Park.
This means that we have to cover more than 40 kilometers of winding dirt roads in a mountainous area before we arrive at a beautiful suspension bridge in the middle of the Thai jungle. The bridge is a gift from the Thai Queen Sirikit and makes it possible to cross the wide river on foot or by motorcycle to reach Bon Luk.
Collection
The collection for needy Karen children via Thailandblog and the Lions Club IJsselmonde yielded a considerable amount last year. There was still more than 1000 euros in the greenhouse, which we have not yet been able to spend. High water during the rainy season made it impossible to reach the remote villages on the border with Burma, while key figure and Lions member Hans Goudriaan was absent for quite some time due to the fitting of two new hips. This will not get you far in the hard-to-reach villages of the Karen. The Lions clubs IJsselmonde and Hua Hin had also recently funded the auxiliary fund, in addition to Hans Goudriaan. At his recent marriage he had asked for a financial contribution to the aid projects.
Medication
Now that the aid organization Jungle Aid organized an expedition from Hua Hin to the remote village of Bon Luk, the right time had come to pick up the thread again. Hans had bought medicines and other items for about 1000 euros, which will be distributed among the various Karen villages in the coming period, from paracetamol and antibiotics via toothbrushes to contraception for Karen girls and women. After all, in the absence of other entertainment, sex is one of the few ways for (young) Karen to relax.
Operation Smile is one of the sponsors of Jungle Aid. Through this channel, children can undergo cosmetic surgery. The organization Jungle Aid is led by Emma Neeve. Regular readers of this blog know that the proceeds of the book 'The Best of Thailandblog' go to Operation Smile.
Central to the expedition was Coco Baggelaar, former general practitioner in Amsterdam who lives in Cha Am for a large part of the year. He has often been the medical pivot in the clinics. In the Netherlands, Coco is now engaged in cosmetic procedures.
Pakayor
The situation in Bon Luk is better than in the village of Pala U Noi visited last year, but much worse than in Pakayor, the first village on the Burmese border that we visited in the past. The huts in Bon Luk are shaky structures, while most children have big bellies from the many parasites. Child mortality is high, partly due to poor hygiene. Due to the lack of medical care, many children and mothers also die at birth.
The approximately 1000 inhabitants are badly dressed and were therefore very happy with the bags of used clothing that Jungle Aid had collected.
Drop
Coco Baggelaar after seeing twenty patients: “My contribution is in fact a drop in the ocean. I can often do something about the simple cases from sores to diarrhea; I have to refer the seriously ill to the hospital. But they usually can't or shouldn't be treated there. More important in this case is that you give the Karen attention. Make them feel like they count for a little bit. That is the main reason that I continue to participate in the medical clinics”.
The toothbrushes they brought were then distributed, while two female Jungle Aid aid workers demonstrated how to use them. Brushing the teeth is of little use to the elderly, given the constant chewing of betel nuts.
And then back to the main road in the afternoon, via the mountainous and winding dirt road of 40 kilometers…
In the Netherlands you can transfer donations to the bank account of the Lions club IJsselmonde, ING 66.91.23.714 stating Karen Hua Hin. Hans Goudriaan is a member of the audit committee and therefore has a good overview of income and expenditure.
In Thailand please send your contribution to: Siam Commercial Bank Hua Hin account 402-318813-2 in the name of mr Johannes Goudriaan (local Thai bath account).
Donors are requested to mail their transfer to Hans Goudriaan ([email protected]) and to which account, after which (immediately after money has been credited) he will confirm your deposit. Unfortunately, it is not possible to open an account in the name of Lions in Thailand.
I went along once, both to Pakayor and to a village far in the wilderness. Then saw Coco at work and aid workers handing out clothes for the children. This has made a big impression. Especially since these people really have nothing and are completely dependent on others. The special thing about this form of assistance is that it is small-scale, but it does end up directly with the people who need it most.
Thanks everyone for the effort. And keep giving generously to these kinds of charities. The money is well spent, as you can see and read.
Coco Baggelaar's contribution is not a drop in the ocean, but a drop in the right place!